Mercurochrome
by Twisties
Summary: Angel's fixing up Collins' busted knee the night after he gets mugged. We get to see a softer side of the professor in this! Oneshot homeslice.


**Disclaimer: I only own the story line...RENT, Band-Aids, Barbies, Mercuruchrome...none of them belong to me. Nope. None, nada, niet, zilch. ZERO. Oh, and I decided Angel needed a nickname for Collins, so I gave him one. What now? Okay, enough of my prattle, REAAADD!**

**Mercurochrome**

_Then back to the street where I met my sweet  
Where he was moaning and groaning on the cold concrete  
The nurse took him home for some mercurochrome  
And I dressed his wounds and got him back on his feet_

Angel Dummot Schunard was too giddy for words. She was walking with _the_ most gorgeous man alive; and she got to bring him to her house! This day just kept getting better and better.

"Uh, Tom? We're almost at my flat…it's a six floor walk up though, do you think you can make it?"

The philosopher that she met on Avenue B slowly answered as he walked with Angel's support, "Yeah, I think I can make it."

Angel smiled internally, "Alright…we'll be there in about a minute or two." The two walked the rest of the way in silence.

Collins was contemplating just how he allowed himself to get beat up on Christmas Eve. It's not like he was small and weak, he could handle himself. He worked out everyday…maybe it was because he was just taken by shock. But thankfully this angel came and found him. It's wasn't just a coincidence either that her name was Angel; he knew he was in good hands.

Angel on the other hand was thinking about how luck was on her side today. Now Angel wasn't a very forward person, but when she saw someone she wanted, she went out and grabbed him. But this time, Collins sort of fell for her—literally. If he hadn't been mugged, they never would've met. And besides, who knows what the night will lead to.

"Oh, we're here!" Angel exclaimed as she took out the keys to the bottom floor of her building. The two walked up the six flights of stairs until they came to the studio apartment that was Angel's.

"Well, it isn't much but it'll do, right?" she said while leading Collins to the couch. "You just sit here and wait; I'll get some stuff and clean you up. You'll be better in no time."

Collins sat on the couch in Angel's living room and smiled at her, "This is more than enough…You don't understand how grateful I am to you Angel," Collins replied. Sheepishly, he added, "Thanks for being so nice…"

Angel went into her bathroom and looked past all her makeup and hair accessories to find an old bottle of mercurochrome, gauze, and a couple of Band-Aids. She promptly returned to Collins and uncovered the biggest wound: the one on his knee from where he fell.

"Alright, this may sting a little…" Angel scrunched her face in determination and began working on Collins knee.

First she wiped it clean with water and a washcloth and Collins seemed to be doing okay. But when she poured some mercurochrome on a piece of gauze and very gently brushed it across Collins' open wound, the professor let out a very uncharacteristic squeal.

"_Oww oww oww oww_!" Collins screamed putting his hand over his knee and frowning. "That hurt. A lot."

Angel froze at first, then frowned and gently took Collins' left hand in her hand to prevent him from covering his knee again. "Now papo, I know a big strong man like you can handle a little mercurochrome, verdad?"

Collins frowned again before nodding, "Yeah…but it stings."

"I know it hurts, but we don't want your knee to get any kind of infection do we? That would just make this whole situation much worse than necessary."

"Okay," Collins breathed out, "But go slow please?"

"No problem sweetie."

Once again, this time much slower, Angel began applying the product to Collins knee. This time he winced, but seemed to contain himself from screaming. But when Angel came to a particularly sore part of his knee with almost no skin at all on it, Collins couldn't help but react.

"Shit! Angel you're _hurting_ me!" He said as he jerked his knee away from the Latina.

"Thomas Collins, give me your knee right now sir."

"No…"

"You're being a baby."

"You're being mean."

"You're being ridiculous…do you realize you could die if you get another infection? I'm not trying to be morbid or anything, but Collins, let's be real. I need to clean out your knee."

Collins tried to come up with a rebuttal but could not so instead he delivered his knee back into the helping hands of Nurse Angel.

"Fine," he mumbled.

Angel sighed, exasperated at Collins childish behavior. "How about this," she suggested, "why don't you take the gauze and clean out your wound yourself?"

Collins thought this was Angel's best idea since they began this and took the gauze. He gingerly began to apply it to his knee. At the first touch he swore and gave the product covered cotton back to Angel.

"You do it…I can't cause myself pain…I'm not a masochist."

Angel smiled, knowing her reverse psychology would work. "Alright, so turn your head the other way or something and it'll be over before you know it, okay?"

Collins nodded. He turned his head towards Angel's television and turned to CNN. He watched a heated debate unfold about the Gulf War and waited for the pain to come once again. This time when it did though, he was a little more prepared and the only thing that escaped was one tear from his right eye which he quickly brushed away.

"Aww, papo you're not crying are you?" Angel asked in concern, "I'm almost done, don't worry…"

Collins nodded and kept watching CNN, trying to focus his attention on politics instead of the searing pain in his knee. Five minutes later, Angel was done with his knee and wrapped it up in a bandage.

"See, that was easy, right?"

Collins looked at the job Angel had done on his knee and a small smile came across his face, "Thanks," he mumbled. He then looked up at Angel who smiled in return.

"It was my pleasure Thomas. Anywhere else you need patched up?"

"Um, I think I may have a few cuts and scrapes on my face…but I can't really tell…I may have a busted lip."

Angel held Collins face in her hands and looked it over.

"Oh, well it seems that you do have a few, but nothing a Band-Aid won't heal." The drag queen took a few out of their box and giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"They have Barbies on them…sorry, I like girly things."

"Oh…hmm, well while I do appreciate your Barbie Band-Aids, I think I'll be okay without them."

"Well, in that case," Angel's voice took on a huskier tone than before, "I guess a kiss will do. That always helped when I was little."

Collins' eyes followed Angel in amazement as she kissed his forehead, his cheek, his eyebrow, and then his busted lip. Collins let Angel kiss him for a moment before he too returned the kiss. He grabbed the back of her head, forgetting about his bumps and bruises and deepened what had happened.

When the two broke for air, Angel sat in Collins lap, careful not to bother his knee. "If I say something, will it scare you away?" she asked Collins as she rested on his chest.

"Right now, I don't think anything could scare me away from you."

"Well, I think I'm falling in love with you Collins…"

Collins who was always thinking, knew how he felt but asked Angel how _she_ felt about this.

Angel closed her eyes before answering, "I feel good...but scared…but mostly good."

Collins leaned down and kissed the top of Angel's head, "Don't worry, I'll protect you. And don't think you're alone either Angel…I'm falling in love with you too."

Angel smiled and wrapped her arms around Collins' torso and smiled. She could tell that whatever came of this was going to be something good.

Collins kissed Angel's head again and leaned back. For once in his life, he felt as if a relationship of his was starting on the right foot. For once, he felt love.

The two slowly fell asleep on the couch basking in each others warmth and comfort.

* * *

"Awwww you two are so sappy!" Mimi squealed after listening to the story of Angel and Collins first night together.

"Yeah, a little too much if you ask me. Collins man, I can't believe you cried…"

"I can't believe Angel told that I cried…"Collins said as he got up to get another beer. "Davis, how about I get you a beer and we say this never happened."

"Deal!"

"Pookie, how come we didn't meet that way?" Maureen asked with a pout on her face.

Joanne had an 'are you stupid' look on her face as she answered Maureen, "Well, besides the little fact that you didn't get beat up on Avenue B, you _were_ cheating on Mark…so we didn't really do all that mushy gushy stuff. It was more like you pleasure me; I pleasure you, some kissing, me begging you not to leave, you saying you had to, and then you going back to Mark smelling of my va-jay-jay."

Mark coughed from his spot at the table, "Wow. Thank you Joanne for that."

"Oh no problem!" she said smiling.

Mark flipped off the lawyer and continued drinking his beer.

"That's _my_ job!" Maureen interjected.

Angel smiled at the bickering going on around her. Her smile grew three times bigger when Collins came over with a glass of wine for her.

"Cheap wine madam?"

"Why I would love some Thomas! Thank you, papo."

"Your welcome Angelcake!"

Angel perked her lips for a kiss which Collins delivered. Soon though, and with expertise because both held a beverage in one hand, the kiss grew into a heated makeout session.

"Damn, don't you too ever get a room?" Mark asked.

"Mark, don't be jealous 'cause you ain't got a hot Latina on your lap…" Collins said looking up.

"Mhmm, and don't be jealous 'cause you ain't got a hot black man holding you," Angel said nodding.

"Aww you think I'm hot Angelcake?"

"Of course I do papo!" Angel said smiling, "You think I'm hot?"

"No doubt…you're the hottest."

"I love you baby."

"Luh you more," Collins replied in a love drunk stupor. Angel placed a finger on Collins previously injured knee and Collins winced sexually.

"You still got it baby…"

**FIN.**

**Meh, I think it's okay…wanted to write an Angel/Collins before I go into the land of MoJo, so I did…REVIEWWWWWWWWWWWW!!! **

**Please and thank you D**


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